The story of ASSE’s growing presence in India began in late 2011, when two ASSE volunteers, Jitu Patel and Ashok Garlapati, asked Society leaders to explore how we might grow engagement in India. The country was not then viewed as a strategic market for ASSE, but this changed quickly. India is now one of the Society’s most active global groups, along with the Middle East and Nigeria.
This initial grass roots effort led to the formation of the India Chapter in March 2012 in the southern city of Chennai. We received strong support from the leadership of the multinational conglomerate Larsen and Toubro Ltd. This mirrors our experience in forming the Middle East Chapter in Saudi Arabia, during which we received strong support from the leadership of Saudi Aramco.